Hybrid Air Vehicles

The vehicles produced by British company Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd combine the benefits of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft with those of airships.

Using a combination of helium lift and powerful engines to generate aerodynamic lift, they have two main applications: surveillance and heavy-lift cargo operations.

In 2010, the company teamed with Northrop Grumman and won a US$517 million contract with the US Army to build three Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicles. These vehicles operate at 20,000 feet and can provide unmanned persistent surveillance for up to 21 days at a fraction of the cost of alternatives.

www.hybridairvehicles.net

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